Amtrak ridership skyrockets

New regional rail coalition is optimistic about future

STOCKTON - The number of people riding regional Amtrak rail service in the past 15 years has grown by more than 67 percent in San Joaquin County, outpacing similar metropolitan areas on short-distance Amtrak routes across the country, according to a recently released report.

The newly formed San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority would oversee the Amtrak San Joaquins rail service. The new governing body is made up of representatives from nine agencies served by the service...

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First meeting

The newly formed San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority would oversee the Amtrak San Joaquins rail service. The new governing body is made up of representatives from nine agencies served by the service. It meets for the first time at 1:30 p.m. March 22 at the Merced Civic Center boardroom, 678 W. 18th St., Merced.

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STOCKTON - The number of people riding regional Amtrak rail service in the past 15 years has grown by more than 67 percent in San Joaquin County, outpacing similar metropolitan areas on short-distance Amtrak routes across the country, according to a recently released report.

For county riders boarding Amtrak trains from two stations in Stockton and one in Lodi, that means taking the San Joaquins route, which has seen a similar jump in ridership along the service connecting Sacramento, Oakland and Bakersfield, according to the report from the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program.

The report's release comes at a time when a growing coalition of regional transportation agencies is taking shape that will take over operation of the popular Amtrak route through the San Joaquin Valley.

It's a move local officials say can bring more innovation, flexibility and funding to the rail line while building on the past success mentioned in the Brookings report.

This past week, the seventh and eighth government agencies formally agreed to enter into a the newly formed San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority.

"(Joint powers authorities) seem to be a little more nimble and seem to be able to respond a lot faster to rider needs," said Bob Johnson, who will represent San Joaquin County on the new body. He's a Lodi City Council member and the chairman of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, which operates the Altamont Corridor Express - or ACE train, formerly known as the Altamont Commuter Express.

The new partnership also means a stronger regional voice when seeking state and federal funds, officials said. The way was cleared by legislation authored by Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton, when she was in the state Assembly last year.

Signed into law in October, the bill allowed for the new organization if a minimum of six agencies joined. That threshold was passed last month. The San Joaquins Amtrak route is currently administered by the state Department of Transportation.

"It went very quickly," said Dan Leavitt, manager of regional initiatives for the rail commission. The new board will get started by establishing bylaws, drafting a business plan and hiring an agency to manage the service, he said. The change could be complete by mid-2014, he said.

The change was inspired by the Capitol Corridor service between Sacramento and the Bay Area, which went through the same process in the 1990s.

From 1997 to 2012, the annual number of riders increased by more than 256 percent, according to the Brookings report, titled "A New Alignment: Strengthening America's Commitment to Passenger Rail." It had 1.7 million riders in 2012.

The San Joaquins service grew by more than 66 percent over those 15 years, up to a record 1.1 million riders in 2012. It's Amtrak's sixth-most-ridden route and overlaps with the first planned segment of the state's planned high-speed rail system.

"This increase in ridership ... really does say there is a demand for this service, especially in this short-distance corridor," said Joseph Kane, one of the report's co-authors.

The report found that routes of 400 miles or less carried 90 percent of Amtrak's riders.

But the report did more than just look at Amtrak routes. It also looked at the 100 largest metropolitan areas.

Data about people who board the train in the Stockton area - essentially San Joaquin County - showed ridership grew by more than 67 percent, according to the report.

That rate of growth outpaces the population growth of the county, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures and estimates from the state Department of Finance.